Draft application filed for Orange winery

Published 12:00 am, Monday, August 19, 2013

ORANGE >> The owners of a planned winery have filed a draft zoning amendment with the town, outlining a proposed 250-seat, 13,380-square-foot "winery tasting room" in a residential zone.

The filing is just a draft - the owners have not filed an official application for a zoning amendment for the tasting room, said Zoning Administrator and Enforcement Officer Paul Dinice.

"It's a just a draft saying, 'Here's what we intend to submit,'" Dinice said of the filing.

The site in question is 393 Derby Ave. Last August, Stellato Realty LLC bought 10 acres of the former Legionnaire's of Christ headquarters at that address to create a winery called The Preserve.

Recently, in addition to clearing the land in preparation for grape vines, rumors of a proposed "banquet hall" have circled town. Some 75 neighbors have gathered to oppose any such facility, and Democratic first selectman candidate Kenneth Lenz has allied himself with their cause.

Eugene Livshits, regional land use planner at SCRCG, said zoning issues like this must go before the regional authority if they're within 500 feet of another municipality. Livshits said the regional board's comments are only advisory and that it has not received anything yet regarding the winery.

Bruce Lindsay, whose home abuts 393 Derby Ave., has organized a group of around 75 neighbors to oppose the project. He says the main issue is preserving the character of nearby neighborhoods. He says neighbors are not opposed to an agricultural wine-making facility.

"Raising kids in a neighborhood abutting a drinking, eating and partying establishment is not an environment I want bring my kids up in," he said. "I'm not the only one."

The zoning amendment describes the wine tasting room as serving hot food andd having a 2,500-square- foot patio, two floors and 16 parking spaces. The application states there would be no outdoor music before 10 a.m. or after 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday and before 11 a.m. or after 10:30 p.m. Sundays.

Any event with more than 100 people would end at midnight Monday to Saturday, and at 10:30 p.m. on Sundays, according to the application.

Porto said he and his client would reach out to neighbors near the project for input. It will be a long process, he said, with approvals needed from the state and town zoning and inland wetlands boards.

"We're hoping for positive feedback to make it a facility that's beneficial for everybody," Porto said. "We anticipate to be reaching out to neighbors and have an informal meeting to gain their feedback."

"We're going to build something that's going to fit nicely in the neighborhood. It's not going to be a giant stadium over there," he added.

Porto said he's successfully amended zoning before in Orange with the Sunrise Hill project, a residential subdivision at the intersection of Derby Avenue and Grassy Hill Road.

But Lindsay says neighbors may not be interested in hearing from Stellato. Lindsay said neighbors are anticipating speaking in opposition to the project at public town meetings.

"We'd like to keep it between us and the town, and between the town and them," Lindsay said. "The town is going to make most of the decisions."